Anchoring or affixation devices and systems for medical or surgical applications are in common use today. The anchors are implanted to aid in holding bone, tissue, ligaments and the like together or in place until healing takes place, or are used temporarily to help perform a procedure necessary for optimum surgical results. When implanted permanently, the anchors can be made from an absorbable material if desired.
Bone and suture anchors are used, for example, during orthopedic surgery to hold fractured bones together, to affix ligaments to bones and to aid in determining isometric placement of anterior cruciate ligament replacements. Examples of such anchors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,537,185, 4,632,100, 4,640,271, 4,723,541 and 4,738,255.
Some positioning and driver mechanisms and systems are known which are used to accurately position and install bone anchors in place. Examples of such mechanisms and systems are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,990,438, 4,537,185, 4,632,100, 4,723,541 and 4,738,255. Two other known systems are the "Statak" mechanism marketed by Zimmer, Inc., Warsaw, Indiana and the "Isotac" mechanism marketed by Acufex Microsurgical, Inc., Mansfield, Mass.